No matter who we are, patient, caregiver,
family or friends of patients or caregivers, we all need
support. We need to know there is always someone there to talk
to, to lend a helping hand, to lean on, to just plain listen, to
know we are not alone. There are individuals and groups
worldwide offering this help.

Service Dogs

Just as there are guide dogs for the blind and
hearing dogs for the deaf, there are dogs trained to assist
disabled people. A service dog brings with it the gift of
independence. A dog will pick up dropped objects, help in
stability in walking and orientation, and pull wheelchairs.

(Recently Don Alfera shared with us a bit of the vast
knowledge he has accumulated about service dogs. Don is both a
scleroderma patient and service dog trainer. We thank him for
allowing us to add his thoughts to our service dog web page.
Following his comments are both his and our favorite service dog
web sites.)

The use of "Service Animals" is becoming more in
demand as the "Baby Boomers" continue to age and more
people with disabilities are realizing that this may be a way to
help with finding some way to help cope and live a more full
life. The rights of the disabled are guaranteed by the Americans
with Disabilities Act section II and Federal Rehabilitation Act
section 504. Both are enforced by the Department of Justice.
These two programs also protect the rights of access for a
"Service Animal Team."

The term "Service Animals" refers mostly to dogs that
are specially trained to help overcome specific limitations that
a person with disabilities may have.

Signal dogs help with those with hearing loss.

Support dogs are trained to help with tasks such as:

To carry items.

Pick up items dropped.

Retrieve items from other locations such as a phone etc.

Bracing and support to assist in cases of balance control.

Seizure alert dogs for people with seizure disorders.

Dogs can be trained for a person who needs mobility help
or almost any other need.

Research is now being done to measure the effectiveness
of service animals for those with anxiety and depression
disorders in addition to dementia.

I have worked with several trainers over the years and
have trained my own service dog. We were certified about 2
years ago as a "Service Animal Team" and we are
now working with another scleroderma patient with the
placement of our first service dog. My goal is to work
with scleroderma patients to help overcome their
limitations and add quality to their lives with the help
of service animals.

I would like to add that this is a free service we are
hoping to provide in the future. We work with the
community on fund raisers and that is how we will continue
to place dogs in the future. We are not a nonprofit yet as
I am trying to get help with the paperwork but that is
another story. LOL We will be in the future but for now we
are doing fine and we hope to have one or two of our dogs
at this years or next years national conference.

Many spend their resources and talents on research and
finding a cure, until then, it is up to us to help each
other with support both emotional and in other ways. We
are the ones that have to find ways to live the day to day
life, while those with the ability and resources keep
working to find a cause and cure.

Here are some good links that I have found to help with
more information and specific guidance on "Service
Animals."

Alf's
Dogs. "My name is Don Alfera. I have worked with
several trainers over the years and have trained my own
service dog. We were certified about 2 years ago as a
"Service Animal Team" and we are now working
with another scleroderma patient with the placement of our
first service dog. My goal is to work with scleroderma
patients to help overcome their limitations and add
quality to their lives with the help of service
animals."

Don also says, "Many spend their resources and
talents on research and finding a cure, until then, it is
up to us to help each other with support both emotional
and in other ways. We are the ones that have to find ways
to live the day to day life, while those with the ability
and resources keep working to find a cause and
cure."

The Friends of AIM
HI. "Disabled American Veterans and certain
members of their families are eligible to apply to
"AIM HI" which is a program managed by the Army
Veterinary Service. This link will take you to their home
page."

Madison
the Service Dog. "All about Madison the Service
Dog. Where he was born, how he was trained and who he
lives with now."

Puppyraiser
and Service Dog Ring. This is a webring in which the
sites must dedicate the majority of their site to
Pups-In-Training (an email list), service dogs or service
dog organizations."